Amplifier arrived and Q Acoustics speakers first impressions.

Yesterday my amplifier finally arrived. I unplugged my old Audioengine A5 speakers from my desk and replaced it with the Q Acoustics 3010 bookshelf speakers. I wired everything to my Nobsound amplifier and fired up Spotify on my PC.

The first thing I realised was how gorgeous the speaker looks. For S$250, I am impressed by the overall build quality. The speakers have a certain heft to it and does not feel like mere hollow shells. I really like the magnetic screen to protect the dome tweeters. You even have a choice of removing it with ease to display the beautifully designed dome tweeter so that is a nice touch.

Next the sound. I fired up Spotify and played some of the all time favourite tracks used to test speakers like Hotel California by The Eagles and Fleetwood Mac’s remastered tracks just to name a few. First thing I noticed is the sheer clarity of the mids and highs. For the price I am paying for, I am extremely impressed at how clear the sound is reproduced through the speakers.

The soundstage is wide but I have heard better ones from better speakers. Then again, I am merely using this as a pair of desktop speakers with my computer rig, and for the price I am paying, it is perfect.

One thing I am a little disappointed is the lack of bass or reduced levels of bass compared to my previous pair of speakers, the Audioengine A5. Cranking up the volume improved a little bit somewhat. It’s quite punchy for most parts, but struggles a little bit at the lower frequencies regardless of volume or positioning. But playing tracks that does not require too much bass, like acoustic tracks, vocal tracks, soundtracks, or instrumentals, The Q Acoustic 3010 shines.

But I am not complaining, there is still a decent amount of bass that I can still appreciate that does not annoy me so much as to declare this speakers as totally lacking in bass. While I can be a bass head, I do enjoy the occasional instrumental tracks every now and then and that is where I can fully enjoy the potential of this new pair of speakers.

Watching movies and video clips from YouTube is excellent, but I noticed a slight airy twang to the sound produced by the speakers. Perhaps the speakers will need time to ‘burn in’ sufficiently before it can fully flex the tweeters properly and produce a rich and full sound, no matter the source.

Overall, I am fully satisfied with my purchase. It fits perfectly for my use case and the budget I was aiming for. Previously I was never a firm believer of cheap speakers sounding so good. But I am now a faithful convert. It is possible to get a good sounding pair of bookshelf speakers without breaking the bank after all.